Many products employ a locking mechanism in which unauthorised access is prevented unless the person trying to access the product has an appropriate key device. The most common locking mechanism available is the pin tumbler mechanism used on standard cylinder locks. While this mechanism is relatively easily produced, its workings are well known and it is susceptible to a number of known techniques such as picking, bumping, raking and drilling.
The present invention is aimed at providing an improved locking mechanism which includes improved resistance to the abovementioned techniques. The locking mechanism of the present invention is also aimed at providing a relatively simple mechanical lock which allows for a large number of key permutations.
A further issue relates to the ability of security staff in locations such as airports to be able to access an item of luggage that has been secured with a locking device. It is common for random checks to be made of luggage and locking devices securing inspected luggage are generally opened by simply cutting a shackle of the lock with a pair of bolt cutters. The present invention relates also to a locking mechanism for use on a locking device such as a padlock that allows the device to be opened by common tools such as bolt cutters, allows the device to then be re-locked after opening and provides also a visual indication that the locking device has been opened for inspection.